Warning: Be Prepared That Many Documents You Send May Not Be Returned - How Did You Fare?

[Moving Forward]

My wifes partner visa has recently been issued. We paid a bit extra to get the documents along with the visa to be returned by courier.

Unfortunately many of the documents were not returned. I am self employed so submitted lots of accounts, personal and business bank statements, invoices etc. I also sent many pages of skype logs, email cards etc. along with photos.

For the most part I was not expecting to get many of these items returned (although I provided copies of everything that was sent).

However, I was surprised to find that neither original nor copies of my banks statements , accountants letter, photos, logs, and my wifes IELTS English certificate were returned.

Fortunately they returned my birth certificate!

I can only come up with 3 reasons why they have returned a pittance of what was sent (we submitted 2 big ringbinders of docs... one were originals, one were copies)

1. This is standard procedure... rules are rules everyone gets treat the same, they keep mostly everything
2. To avoid higher courier charges only the vital docs are returned
3. Jealously by someone involved in processing the application

If I had known practically nothing would have been returned I would have made extra copies of everything. Most things I can get back but it will take me time to put my accounts together again.

I also do not have a copy of the accountants letter which I had agonised over its correct drafting. With the new rules we were in unchartered waters and I didn't know quite how this letter should have been worded. It would have served as a great template for future applications.

Perhaps others when they receive their docs back can add to this thread and list what was returned.

When my wife gets here, I will see exactly what has been returned. I will contact VFS and ask for an explanation.

[Terpe]

In addition to contacting VFS you should also contact the British Embassy.
State that many of your important and needed original documents have not been returned and request they return them asap.

[joebloggs]

cant read all your post now, I'm on my break, but always have a copy of everything you send.

[chrissy_uk]

Congratulations on getting the spouse visa for your wife Moving Forward.

I would definitely contact the embassy as Terpe advised It's possible they simply could not be bothered to send all of them back.

As I have been gathering my documents I have been making scans and creating PDFs of each one so I always have an electronic copy at hand.

Did you need to send them your birth certificate? What about your passport?

I was thinking of only providing certified copies of my passport and birth certificate as I don't really want my birth certificate being kept!

[andy222]

Well done. As we learned from marco documents do go missing at the british embassy. I have wrote on the bottom of my sponsor letter that I will be with my wife when our documents are handed in and that we have photo copies of everything. And if any documents go missing whilst in their possession and it leads to a refusal we will be appealing.